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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PLED-2014-01-15Minutes Approved at April 9, 2014 P&EDC Meeting City of Ithaca Planning & Economic Development Committee Wednesday, January 15, 2014 – 6:00 p.m. Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 108 East Green Street Minutes Committee Members Attending: Joseph (Seph) Murtagh, Chair; Graham Kerslick, Cynthia Brock, and Josephine Martell Committee Members Absent: Alderperson Ellen McCollister Other Elected Officials Attending: Mayor Svante Myrick (arrived at 6:12 p.m.); Alderperson Smith, and Alderperson Fleming Staff Attending: JoAnn Cornish, Director, Department of Planning, Building, and Development; Jennifer Kusznir, Economic Planner, Planning, Building, and Development; Megan Wilson, Planner, Department of Planning, Building, and Development; Tom West, City Engineering Office, and Debbie Grunder, Executive Assistant, Department of Planning and Development Others Attending: None Chair Seph Murtagh called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. 1. Call to Order/Agenda Review Tom West joined the group to discuss the mobile vending policy that is being considered. This has already gone to the BPW. Proposed areas for such mobile vending would be on streets in commercial sites and on streets near residential parks for two vehicles. Four vehicle sites will be at Cass and Stewart Parks through the week but not during special events. Fees are charged for any other parking. For residential areas, there is a 40% discount. Vendors must be 200 ft from any restaurant. . There is a $100 application fee required. Minutes Approved at April 9, 2014 P&EDC Meeting Selection is done quarterly by lottery. Requirements include valid vehicle registrations, workers compensation insurance or waiver, health department requirements, and back ground checks for those near schools. Public comment was held at the last two Board of Public Works (BPW) meetings. The policy is currently being reviewed and revised. Mayor Svante Myrick joined the meeting at 6:12 p.m. Alderperson Brock asked whether mobile vending could also include other vending types besides food vendors. West stated it is currently just food and food items. The next BPW is scheduled for January 27, 2014 for further discussion with a possible vote in early February. 2. Public Comment and Response from Committee Members Bill Demo, 121 Heights Court, (in the Cornell Heights area). He is in very much in support of having the zoning changed, but not linking it with elimination of off-street parking. The residents are concerned because there is already minimum parking in the area. Any future development will only burden this area even further. Ann Sullivan, 109 Irving Place, is thankful that Common Council decided to bring this rezoning issue back from last month. She currently serves on the minimum parking requirement committee. Those appointed to the City boards and committees often times don’t do the work necessary to move things forward. She suggested to Mayor Myrick that more diversity is needed when picking committee members. Michael Decatur, 125 Heights Court, spoke in favor of rezoning in the Cornell Heights area from RU to R3AA. John Schroeder, 618 Stewart Avenue, spoke on the minimum parking requirement. Allow the planning board to approve such parking changes on a case-by-case basis. Multiple strategies could be used to eliminate cars on the street, but keep some parking on the street. Rezoning RU to R3AA is a bad mistake. It should remain RU. He has also done a thorough review of the Collegetown Plan, and has suggestions that he will prepare and pass it along to Council, department heads and their staff. Eric Pritz, 106 Brook Lane, spoke on the neighborhood he lives in. Changing the physical nature of the streets will not benefit the neighborhood. Leave these neighborhoods as they are. Josh Lower, 307 College Avenue, is a fan of mobile vending on the streets. It brings life to the streets. Chair Murtagh read into record a letter from Tom Hanna and John Brookes regarding Collegetown. Minutes Approved at April 9, 2014 P&EDC Meeting 3. Announcements, Updates and Reports a) Public Hearing Announcement – 2014 CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Chair Murtagh read into record the announcement of a public hearing to be held March 20, 2014 with a registration date of February 28, 2014 to apply for 2014 CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funding. 4. Action Items – Voting to Send on to Council a) RU Rezoning (Cornell Heights) Jennifer Kusznir and Lynn Truame both spoke to the committee. This item was first introduced to Council at last month’s Planning and Economic Development Committee. Lynn Truame provided a memo of the recommendation of the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC) which met the previous night. Alderperson Brock’s concern if you change the RU zone to an R3aa zone it will allow large parcels be broken down into small properties going from a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet, and increasing maximum lot coverage from 30% to 35%. We will be allowing areas of historical significance and changing the layout to have smaller densely-packed neighborhoods. Lynn stated that the ILPC is empowered to protect historic neighborhoods’ character. RU has four-story height limits – R3aa has a three-story limit. Alderperson Brock clarified that we are looking at rezoning two areas – one in Cornell Heights and the other in the historic district. Alderperson Martell asked whether this area is appropriate for increased density. Alderperson Kerslick stated his concern with the closeness to the gorge. Kusznir stated that it could be re-circulated for further comment if changes are made to the existing zone. R3 allows the lot size to be much smaller than the RU Zone. Kerslick stated that in these zones, the City relies on the ILPC to approve any change in lot sizes. The RU zone allows large contiguous structures and a higher maximum height. The rezoning to R3aa will reduce the maximum height and limit the footprint of the structure to 120% of the average footprint of the existing building along the block front. Minutes Approved at April 9, 2014 P&EDC Meeting Mayor Myrick supports the R3aa zone and leaving anything north of the gorge to the purview of the ILPC. Chair Murtagh supports taking out the minimum parking requirements. Alderperson Kerslick moved to remove the minimum parking requirements; seconded by Alderperson Brock. Carried unanimously. Lynn Truame stated the ILPC is fine with keeping the zone as RU if the 120% footprint restriction, the three-story maximum, and 35 foot maximum building height limitations are added to the RU zoning regulation. Mayor Myrick stated that an R3aa change will benefit the historic district. Alderperson Kerslick moved to change the historic district only (north of the gorge) from RU to R3aa; seconded by Chair Murtagh. Carried 3-1, with Alderperson Broking voting against. The area south of the gorge will stay as is. 5. Action Items – Approval to Circulate a) Collegetown Area Form Districts Alderperson Brock requested a brief explanation as to what has happened up to point. Planner Megan Wilson stated four different measures were on the floor for consideration. All passed but the Form Districts portion which then made all the other measures fail. Then a new design guidelines group was set up which helped rewrite the plan. Alderperson Brock further asked why there was a decision to abandon the payment in lieu of parking option. Alderperson Kerslick responded that the payment in lieu of parking was repealed because it couldn’t stand alone – it was part of the College Town Plan that was not approved. The payment in lieu of parking was then focused on in the parking requirements committees. Alderperson Kerslick stated we can’t change anything in Collegetown without changing the adjourning neighborhoods. The teeth will be in transportation issues. Alderperson Smith stated that the parking availability whether used or not, is added into the rents that are charged to tenants. Alderperson Brock stated that negotiations must be made with the new developers. An example, as part of your development, we must negotiate the parking requirement for said project. Minutes Approved at April 9, 2014 P&EDC Meeting Alderperson Kerslick stated that in the past there haven’t been any negotiations, which the parking requirements are being met with paving over green space mostly for off-street parking. Mike Niechwiadowicz, Director of Code Enforcement, stated that the negotiations must start at the Planning Board during the project’s site plan review process. Alderperson Martell motioned to circulate; seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. Carried Unanimously 4-0. b) Elimination of Transition Regulations Phyllis Radke, Director of Zoning Administration explained to the group transition regulations. We are trying to get away from Section 325-19A. JoAnn Cornish further stated where we see this in our City is in the residential area on Elmira Road. Alderperson Brock moved to circulate; seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. Carried 4-0. 6. Discussion a) Extension of Waterfront Zoning This will follow up from last month’s meeting after it was circulated for comment. Economic Planner Jennifer Kusznir stated staff is recommending a new WF-3 zoning district. After comments were received, it was apparent that the definitions of Light Industrial Uses and Light Industrial District need to be clarified. At the end of the day, we want to allow light industrial use, but the City Code doesn’t currently include light industrial uses. Alderperson Martell stated that both definitions could be combined. Alderperson Brock asked whether we should be concerned about the smoke, fumes, etc. if residential use is allowed in an industrial zone, which will cause conflict of expectations between industrial uses and residential uses. Phyllis Radke stated a lot of those concerns fall under the prevue of the City Building Code. Other concerns as to truck traffic could be easily controlled by stating in the code any limitations as to such traffic. Chair Murtagh suggested we bring this back next month for further discussion 7. Review and Approval of Minutes Minutes Approved at April 9, 2014 P&EDC Meeting a) October 2013– moved by Alderperson Kerslick; seconded by Alderperson Murtagh. Carried unanimously 4-0. b) December 2013 – these minutes were not reviewed. 8. Adjournment Moved by Alderperson Martell; seconded by Chair Murtagh. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.